Barnaby Claims Underdog Mantle

FOLLOWING initial polling results Barnaby Joyce is claiming the mantle of underdog in the battle for the federal seat of New England against independent Tony Windsor.

An Ipsos and Fairfax poll both indicated the coalition would maintain government, but Barnaby Joyce MP would lose his seat to independent candidate Tony Windsor.

At Walcha Show: Ross King president of Walcha Show, Dylan Wilson a shearer formerly from Walcha and Barnaby Joyce Member for New England.

Barnaby Joyce said the polls meant he was now the underdog in the election.

“What that would mean quite obviously is that New England would go into opposition.” he said.

“Now that is life; that is political life.

“Unfortunately that means I claim the mantle as the underdog,” he said.

“And Windsor calls me the “deputy dog” but I am thinking of the underdog,” Barnaby Joyce said.

Mr Joyce said that if Mr Windsor was elected his position would essentially be as opposition.

“It’s quite obvious, and a statement of the bleeding obvious, that from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, you’ve got a vastly better chance of getting through the important issues of New England than as a backbencher in what will, for all intents and purposes, be the opposition,” Barnaby Joyce said.

However, when it comes to who would be more effective in influencing the outcomes of mining projects within the electorate his bets were hedged.

“I must admit at the start of this campaign it had been distracted at times by issues that won’t actually be in the seat of New England and won’t actually be handled by the Federal level of government – they will be handled by the State,” he said.

When a question was raised about what the current federal government, of which he is deputy prime minster, had done to prevent mining he accused Tony Windsor of not doing enough during his time as the previous local member.

“When we go through that you have to go right back to when the exploration licenses were granted and what actions were taken by Mr Windsor at that point in time,” Mr Joyce said.

“Were they the same sort of actions that he took to support the people who were looking after the Quipolly aquifer,” he said.

“Were they the same type of actions he took to look after the dust intrusion into the houses around the mine at Werris Creek.

“I mean I think he is riding both sides of the fence on this one quite clearly,” Barnaby Joyce said.

When asked if he was expecting such an early swing against him he admitted he was surprised.

“No I always expected it would be a hard fight,” he said.

“I have never shied away from a political battle,” said Barnaby Joyce.